According to AS, as cited by Sempre Milan, Tottenham Hotspur have made five players available for sale in the upcoming summer transfer window. Ben Davies, in particular, has been listed among those players, with the other ones being Serge Aurier, Christian Eriksen, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama.
Davies hasn’t exactly been linked with a move away from north London in recent weeks. But, is the idea of getting rid of him in January the right choice from Spurs’ perspective?
Davies’ spell at Tottenham
Davies initially joined Tottenham Hotspur way back in 2014, in a €12 million move from Swansea. He was brought in as a future prospect and quite unsurprisingly, was a bit-part player at the club in his first two seasons, mustering a total of just over 2,100 minutes of league football.
However, Mauricio Pochettino’s rotation policy helped Davies gradually become a crucial part of the Spurs backline. As a result, his overall game-time improved season by season. He was notably involved in 2,323 minutes of league football during the 2017/18 campaign. The Welshman was even Spurs’ first-choice left-back that season as Danny Rose suffered from injuries.
That being said, Davies has struggled with lack of consistency, of late, which has led Pochettino to once again rely on Rose. He has featured in only three Premier League matches so far this campaign.
How important was Davies in the Spurs backline?
As mentioned earlier, Davies was mostly a rotation player under Pochettino, even during the 2017/18 campaign, when he was the first choice.
Tactically, Davies’ tenacity, coupled with his athleticism made him an ideal fit to Pochettino’s wingback system that often requires a lot of pace and work-ethic. But at the same time, the 26-year-old lacked the technical prowess, especially when compared to someone like Rose.
Should Spurs sell Davies?
Getting rid of Davies may not be a bad idea from Tottenham’s perspective, given his recent struggles. But, it’s only fair to point out that the Lilywhites will need to fix problems in the other areas first, especially the creative midfield as well as the right-back role.
That means they are likely to undergo a significant squad overhaul next summer. Selling Davies in that regard would only force them to become busier in the transfer market, which, in turn, could affect their preparations for the new campaign.
Not to mention, Spurs may change their manager if their bad form in the league persists. And Davies could potentially shine under the new manager. Therefore, listing the Welshman among the players up for sale is not necessarily a logical decision at the moment.
